Oct 21 -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) invites comments by December 20, 2022 regarding Developmental/Methodologic Projects to Improve the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Related Programs. The goals of these projects are to conduct voluntary customer surveys to assess strengths in agency products and services and to evaluate how well it addresses the emerging needs of its data users.
Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 242k), as amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (DHHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on the extent and nature of illness and disability; environmental, social and other health hazards; and determinants of health of the population of the United States. The Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (DHNES) has conducted national surveys and related projects periodically between 1970 and 1994, and continuously since 1999. The mission of DHNES programs is to produce descriptive statistics which measure the health and nutrition status of the general population. The continuous operation of DHNES programs presents unique challenges in testing new survey content and activities, such as outreach or participant screening etc.
This Generic Information Collection Request (ICR) covers developmental projects to help evaluate and enhance DHNES existing and proposed data collection activities to increase research capacity and improve data quality. The information collected through this Generic ICR will not be used to make generalizable statements about the population of interest or to inform public policy; however, methodological findings from these projects may be reported. The purpose and use of projects under this National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Generic Clearance would include developmental projects necessary for activities such as testing new procedures, equipment, technology and approaches that are going to be folded into NHANES or other NCHS programs; designing and testing examination components or survey questions; creating new studies including biomonitoring and clinical measures; creating new cohorts, including a pregnancy and/or a birth—24 month cohort; testing of the cognitive and interpretive aspects of survey methodology; feasibility testing of proposed new components or modifications to existing components; testing of human-computer interfaces/usability; assessing the acceptability of proposed NHANES components among likely participants; testing alternative approaches to existing NHANES procedures, including activities related to improving nonresponse; testing the use of or variations/adjustments in incentives; testing content of web based surveys; testing the feasibility of obtaining bodily fluid specimens (e.g., blood, urine, semen, saliva, breastmilk) and tissue samples (swabs); testing digital imaging technology and related procedures (e.g.,retinal scan, liver ultrasound, Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), prescription and over-the-counter dietary supplements bottles); testing the feasibility of and procedure/processes for accessing participant's medical records from healthcare settings (e.g., hospitals and physician offices); testing the feasibility and protocols for home examination measurements; testing survey materials and procedures to improve response rates, including changes to advance materials and protocols, changes to the incentive structure, introduction of new and timely outreach and awareness procedures including the use of social media; conducting crossover studies; creating and testing digital survey materials; and conducting customer satisfaction assessments.
The types of participants covered by the NHANES Generic ICR may include current or past NHANES participants; family or household members of NHANES participants; individuals eligible to be participants in NHANES, but who did not screen into the actual survey; convenience samples; volunteers; subject matter experts or consultants such as survey methodologist, academic researchers, clinicians or other health care providers; NHANES data or website users; members of the general public or individuals abroad who would be part of a collaborative development project or projects between NCHS and related public health agencies in the U.S. and/or abroad. The type of participant involved in a given developmental project would be determined by the nature of the project. The details of each project will be included in the specific GenIC submissions.
NHANES:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm
Supporting documentation:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lwbt9u1m46sdt9ohi8awl/60-day-combined-request-form_2022OCT04.docx?dl=0&rlkey=du8m7y9zfhcuwrrsd83h9jb1p
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-22930